


WPaRG Intermission: Kuzco and Company

by chelonianmobile, MultiFanGirlWickedPony, Writearoundchic



Series: WPaRG [13]
Category: Disney - All Media Types, Emperor's New Groove (2000), Wreck-It Ralph (Movies)
Genre: Child Abuse, Family, Forced Prostitution, Friendship, Gen, Heavy Angst, No Smut, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:28:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24238822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelonianmobile/pseuds/chelonianmobile, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MultiFanGirlWickedPony/pseuds/MultiFanGirlWickedPony, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writearoundchic/pseuds/Writearoundchic
Summary: Kuzco wasn't entirely alone in the warehouse, and had family, new and old, to come back to.
Series: WPaRG [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665667
Comments: 5
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's from Wicked and our AO3-less cowriter Dolly; they noticed that Minty Zaki's design was changed to Minty Sakura for the Japanese release, and so decided the two versions are two separate people in this AU. Naturally, that meant we had to do something with the other Minty, and we needed a closer look in the Ark...

“What’s your name, mister?”

Minty was a little confused as to why the boy next to her wasn’t answering. Wasn’t even looking her way twice.

“Hey, mister, I asked you a question.”

Still, nothing.

“Hey! What’s your name! You gonna just stare out blankly like you can’t hear me? You deaf or something?”

“ _Will you shut up? I am trying to sleep._ ”

“Oh. _You’re a Spanish speaker? Why didn’t you just say so?_ ”

“ _Huh?_ ” The boy turned. “ _You speak Spanish, too?_ ”

“ _Uh-huh. My name’s Minty._ ”

“ _… Kuzco._ ”

“ _Why do you look all wonky?_ ”

“ _What…?”_

“ _You look all weird. You keep staring at nothing._ ” She bit her nail. “ _I don’t get it._ ”

“ _Why shouldn’t I stare at nothing? Don’t you know where we are?_ ”

“ _… We’re in America, I think._ ”

“ _Yeah, I knew that, I meant_ where _in America._ ”

“ _I don’t know. Oklahoma?_ ”

“ _Forget it,_ ” he muttered.

“ _Come on,_ ” she whined. “ _Tell me what’s wroooong. I won’t leave you ‘lone ‘till you do._ ”

He looked at her. “ _We’re in a sex warehouse. Surely you know this?_ ”

“ _What’s… sex?_ ”

“ _… What are you…_ ” He paused. “ _You… don’t know?_ ”

“ _Should I?_ ”

No… but that hardly mattered in a place like this.

“ _It’s what… they’ve been doing to me,_ ” he told her, quietly. “ _They’ll probably get to you too, soon._ ”

“What?!” She switched to English in her surprise. “I-I mean, _what? What are they doing to you? I thought they were just gonna rape you._ ”

“ _What?!_ ”

“ _That stuff they do in those rooms, isn’t that where they take you?_ ”

“ _Y-yeah… but-_ ”

“ _Well, everyone that I’ve seen go there gets a dick stuck in ‘em or sticks something into someone else. A nice lady told me that’s what rape is. Isn’t that what they do to you?”_

“ _Y-yeah, yeah, that is, but-_ ”

“ _Then why does it matter? Rape’s no big deal. Sure, it hurts a little, but it happens to everyone, and if you let them do it, they treat you really nice. I got to try a peanut butter cup yesterday, those are really good!_ ”

Kuzco stared at her for a moment. “ _How… how long have you been here?_ ”

“ _I dunno. They’ve been bouncing me around ever since I was a baby._ ”

He looked at her, horrified, but swallowed. “ _Well, um, I’ve only been here a few weeks._ ”

“ _Oh, you’re new! That explains it. The new ones are always weird. It’s okay, though, you’ll get used to it._ ”

He looked away at that and sighed. “ _I don’t want to get used to it. I want to go home._ ”

“ _Sorry,_ ” she told him, “ _but that’s not really on the table. A lotta people wanna leave, but it just doesn’t work out that way. You’re probably gonna stay here for a while._ ”

Kuzco did not respond.

“ _Um… but hey!_ ” She put on the biggest smile she could. “ _I’m here! I know you must miss your friends and stuff, but maybe we could be friends instead? That way you won’t need to feel so bad about your old ones!_ ”

“ _That… that isn’t why I’m upset._ ”

Minty deflated. “ _… So you don’t wanna be my friend then…?_ ”

He felt bad then. He saw another little child then; a little boy who wasn’t allowed to hang around with other children much. “ _I never said that. I just mean that I’m probably still gonna be sad, is all. But hey! You’re still one more friend than I had. So that’s something._ ” He smiled at her.

Minty brightened up at that. “ _You mean it, mister?_ ”

“ _Yeah. I didn’t have a whole lot of friends back home anyway, it was mostly just my dad and my nanny, and my dad wasn’t around much. So I’d be more than happy to hang around with you._ ”

She smiled, and hugged him. He couldn’t help but hug her back.

~

“Hey… Kuzco?” She spoke in English, for there was no need to translate herself anymore. Not to be understood.

“ _What is it?_ ” His voice was high and scratchy. His body bruised and battered. He had been with a client. He had only just gotten back.

“How come you always get so sad when they take you away? Is it because it hurts?”

He seemed to think for a moment, then he nodded. “ _Yeah. It does hurt. It hurts everywhere._ ” Whether or not she knew he was referring to more than just his body was up to her.

“You should try doing more mouth stuff, then. That doesn’t really hurt as much.”

He laughed then, but it was a bitter and sarcastic laugh. “ _Trust me, Minty, it would still hurt for me._ ”

“How come?”

Kuzco looked at her then. “ _Minty, how much do you know about the world? You know, outside here._ ” He motioned to one of the doors that (in theory, in fantasy) lead out of the building.

“Never been,” she told him. “All I know is the people who they bring in from out there are weird as hell. No offense, ‘course.”

“ _None taken._ ” He frowned in thought. “ _What would you think if I told you I was never raped before I came here?_ ”

“Really? Never ever ever?”

“ _Never ever ever._ ”

“Why not?”

“ _The world doesn’t work that way… well, it isn’t supposed to… Sometimes it still happens but out there if you rape someone people get mad about it and you’ll go away to a place where you can’t do it again._ ”

_At least you’re supposed to._

“Well then, how come these people haven’t gone there?” she asked, looking towards one of the guards.

“ _The people outside probably don’t know what these people are doing to us._ ”

“Why not?”

“ _It… outside isn’t perfect._ ”

“Oh… that’s fuckin’ dumb.”

“ _It is what it is._ ” Kuzco smiled at her. “ _If one of us got out, then they could probably tell someone and everyone who rapes us would go away for a long time._ ”

“But… but they break your legs if you try to get out.”

“ _That’s why. They break your legs because then you can’t go tell anybody outside and they won’t get in trouble. Even though they probably should._ ”

He looked down at Minty. A girl all of seven years who had seen more horrors than anyone ever should. _The fact that you’re here is proof enough of that._

“Oh…” Minty said slowly. “Is it okay if I lean on you for a little bit?”

His eyes softened at that. “ _Yeah. Of course you can._ ”

~

“You’re the only person in the world who likes me.”

“ _What?_ ” He looked at her with an arched brow. “ _What brought this on?_ ”

Her eyes were flat as she answered him. “Before you came I thought I had lots of friends and stuff… I thought the guys here cared ‘bout me… but you’re the only one who does. Everyone else just wants to fuck me ‘till I bleed, an’ they don’t even care how I feel ‘bout it.” She scowled. “I wish I could just go back to not knowin’ that.”

“ _Would that make you happier?_ ” he asked.

“I dunno. Maybe. Why?”

“ _Because I don’t think I could have gone on without telling you it was wrong. So your choices would have been to either not know that, or not know me._ ”

“Maybe it’d be better if I didn’t know you. Then you wouldn’t be here.”

“ _Nah. Maybe we just wouldn’t have been chained up together._ ”

“Maybe…” She muttered. “Are… are you glad you met me?”

“ _Yes._ ” It was an automatic answer with no hesitation. “ _You’re the best friend I’ve had. Well, that wasn’t related to me… or paid to take care of me._ ”

She smiled. “Thanks, Kuzco… I’m glad I met you too. Even if… you told me about the gross stuff bein’ bad…”

He didn’t say anything, but his hand reached out to take hers and he squeezed it tightly.

“Do you…?” She trailed off.

“ _Do I what?_ ”

“You think we’ll stay friends? I never keep my friends for very long. They always leave, or else I have to. I don’t want that to happen with us.”

He said nothing for a moment. He couldn’t make any promises. How could he? So instead, he squeezed her shoulder. “ _I don’t think they’re gonna send me anywhere else. They already think I can’t understand anyone here. Do you think they’re gonna send you away any time soon?_ ”

“No, I don’t think so…”

“ _Well, there you go._ ” He squeezed her shoulder again.

~

“Kuzco! Kuzco! Are you awake?!”

Her words and tone were urgent, but Minty was doing her best to keep her voice low. To keep herself quiet.

“ _Yeah…?_ ”

“Shh!” she hissed. “Shut up! They might hear you!”

“ _So?_ ”

She switched to Spanish then. “ _Kuzco, look!_ ”

“ _Look at what?_ ”

“ _Look at that!_ ”

Kuzco stared at it for a moment. “ _It’s a gun. So what? We see guns all the time._ ”

“ _Yes, but who’s holding the gun?_ ”

“ _… Nobody…_ ” he slowly realized. “ _No one is holding the gun… it’s just sitting there…_ ”

“ _So what are you gonna do about it?_ ”

He faltered. “ _The chains…_ ” He shifted slightly and, as if smiled upon by a long-absent God, the shackle fell away. The guard hadn’t fastened it quite right, it seemed.

“ _Kuzco,_ ” Minty whispered, her voice tight. “ _Pick up that fucking gun, and get yourself the hell outta here._ ”

“ _… I can’t help but notice there’s a distinct lack of you in that sentence._ ”

“ _No shit, Sherlock. Only one of us can get out of here, and it’s gotta be you._ ”

Kuzco’s eyes hardened then. “ _I’m not leaving without you._ ”

“ _Yes. Yes you are._ ”

“ _And why should I? You’re my best friend, I’m not leaving you in this hellhole._ ”

“ _You’re gonna have to. These people are gonna go after you as soon as you get through those doors. They’re gonna chase you down. You can’t carry me and run at the same time, and I… I can’t run as fast as you can. I’ll just slow you down._ ”

“ _I… I’ll make them unchain you and then-_ ”

Minty exploded. “ _Kuzco, are you fucking nuts?! If you take me with you, there’s no way you’ll get out! And if you don’t try to get out without me right now, I’m gonna take the gun myself and blow out my brains!_ ”

His eyes went wide. “ _Whoa! Minty-_ ”

“ _Shut up!_ ” she snapped. “ _You’re from out there, you know how it works! There are people lookin’ for you! Nobody even knows I was born! If you get out then someone will! You can go get help, okay?! Go tell someone where we are! You can do that… but… but only if you leave now! And you don’t have time to take me with you!_ ”

It only took a moment.

Then, a deep hug.

“ _I’ll be back for you. I promise._ ”

“ _Just go, Kuzco._ ”

And he did.

~

“ _Kuzco?! Kuzco, are you okay?_ ”

It was a man who spoke this time. A man who called out to him. A large man instead of a little girl.

The little girl was gone now…

Kuzco looked down. “ _Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. What happened?_ ”

“ _You… you had a little bit of a panic attack._ ”

“ _… How bad?_ ”

“ _You were calling for Yzma._ ”

“ _So… really bad._ ”

A moment of silence. Then…

“ _Kuzco… who’s Minty?_ ”

His face drained of color. “ _Wh-what? How do you… where did you hear about her?_ ”

“ _From you. You called out her name earlier?_ ”

“ _I… I did?_ ”

Had he done that…?

“ _Yeah. Was she someone you knew from back home? A friend of yours?_ ”

He shook his head. “ _She was a friend… but I didn’t know her from home…_ ”

“ _You… don’t mean…?_ ”

“ _She was there…_ ” Kuzco swallowed thickly. “ _I knew her from… the warehouse._ ”

“ _Oh my…_ ”

“ _I… I left her there… I left her behind. And I couldn’t tell the police her name because… if they find out she’s the one who gave me the idea to escape…_ ”

Pacha paled at the implication. “ _I’m so sorry…_ ”

“ _Sh-she’s just a kid!_ ” Kuzco’s voice was high and reedy. “ _She’s just a little girl… I c-can’t… I can’t let them know what she did… they… they’ll kill her…_ ” He sniffed. “ _She’s just a little girl…_ ”

An image of his own daughter flashed through Pacha’s mind.

“ _How… how little are we talking here?_ ”

“ _Seven, maybe eight. I don’t know. And neither does she._ ”

“ _That young?_ ”

“ _She wasn’t even the youngest one there. She… she told me that they’d had her since she was a baby. She’s never known anything else._ ”

Pacha shook his head, not knowing what to say, or even what he could say. “ _That-that’s… awful. I’m so sorry. I don’t…_ ”

“ _That’s why I’m staying in the US._ ” Kuzco’s eyes hardened. “ _I’ve got to get her out and make them pay. For everything._ ”

He promised himself that he would. He had to.

For her.


	2. Chapter 2

“ _… and yeah, I’d say that’s about it,_ ” Kuzco’s voice said on the other end of the line. Huascar smiled as his son continued. “ _It’s been a pretty good week._ ”

“ _So, you met a girl at the library, huh?_ ”

“ _Yeah! And she’s really nice, and pretty, and really, really smart! She got a full scholarship to the local university, and a perfect 1600 on her SAT, which Pacha says is very impressive. She’s also always wanted to visit Peru, so she always lets me talk about what it’s like back home. Hell, sometimes she asks me._ ”

“ _I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t think you were into girls. I always figured you were… what are the kids calling it now… gay?_ ”

“ _Daaaaad!_ ”

“ _Well, you were always trying on dresses - and yes, I knew about that._ ”

“ _What, so a man can’t wear dresses and be straight? That’s kind of stereotypical of you, Dad._ ”

“ _Sorry, sorry. So you’re straight?_ ”

“ _… Pansexual, actually._ ”

“ _I see. Well, all that matters to me is that you like them and they’re good for you._ ” Huascar signed a document, and then yawned.

“ _Oh! I guess it must be getting late over there, huh? Well, I was just about to go job hunting, anyway._ ”

“ _Job hunting? You know I pay Pacha and Chicha your living expenses-_ ”

“ _I know, but I just need something to get me out of the house, other than the group. Besides, it’d look better to Malina if I was doing something with my time._ ”

“ _Malina? So that’s her name._ ” Huascar smirked. “ _Well, far be it from me to get in the way of your romantic pursuits. I’ll let you go now. I love you._ ”

“ _Love you too, Dad. Bye!_ ”

The line hung up. Huascar put the phone down. One of the embassy workers passed by. “Was that your son just now?”

“Mm-hmm. Seems he’s trying to get himself a girlfriend.”

“Well, glad things are looking up for him.” The worker frowned. “Especially after what happened…”

Huascar nodded, remembering.

~

Two years.

His son had been missing for two years.

Not a word from him, the police had found nothing, and the longer he was missing, the more likely it was that he was… was…

Huascar stared at the doll in his hands. He remembered his wife making it for the child in her belly, how she was so certain they would have a daughter. He remembered that day of warring emotions, the grief of losing his wife competing with the joy of holding his newborn son for the first time.

He looked so much like her…

And he was never there for him. Not in the way he needed. Was this his punishment, he wondered? Since he wasn’t there for his son, his son was taken away from him forever?

He’d spent many a sleepless night staring at the one thing he had left.

It was around 3 AM in Germany when his phone rang, and he answered. It looked to be an American number, so he answered in English. “Hello?”

“Hi, is this Huascar Capac?” the voice on the other end of the line asked.

“This is.”

“My name is Pacha. I’m calling about your son,” he said, gently, as though about to deliver some bad news.

Huascar’s heart dropped. After two years, there was only one reason anyone would be calling about his son in that gentle tone. “He’s dead, isn’t he?”

“What?”

“You’re from some police station in America, and you’re calling to tell me my son is dead.” He felt numb, and yet he squeezed the doll. “Just send his remains to Peru. I want him buried next to his mother.”

“What? No! I’m not from any police station, and your son’s not dead.”

Huascar dropped his son’s doll. “… He’s alive?”

“Yes. He’s been through hell and back, but he’s alive.”

 _He’s alive._ Huascar started crying then, tears of joy streaming down his face. He held a hand to his mouth. _He’s alive. My son’s alive. My dear, sweet Azucena, did you hear that?! Kuzco’s alive! Our son’s alive! You’ve been watching over him, haven’t you? Oh, my dear love, thank you. Thank you._

“Um… Mister Capac?”

“Sorry, sorry.” Huascar wiped his tears away. “Is he with you? Can I talk to him?”

“Yeah, he is, but I should probably warn you-”

“My son’s been missing for two years, and I just found out he’s alive. I don’t care about anything else. Please, I just need to hear his voice.”

The voice on the other end was silent for a time. “I understand. One moment.”

For a second, silence. Then…

“ _… Dad?_ ”

The voice was small, hesitant, and hoarse. But it was his. It was Kuzco on the other end. “ _It’s me, Kuzco. I’m here. I’m here._ ”

“ _Dad…_ ” The next thing Huascar knew, there was sobbing, and a lot of it.

“ _Kuzco?!_ ” Every parental instinct in his body flared when he heard his son cry. _“Are you okay?! Where are you?!_ ”

“ _I’m… I’m in a hospital…_ ”

“ _A hospital?!_ ” Huascar shook. “ _What’s wrong? Why are you in the hospital?_ ”

“ _What’s wrong? What’s_ not _wrong?_ ” Kuzco responded bitterly. “ _Dad… I… Yzma, it was her, she… she…_ ”

“ _Kuzco, deep breaths. Can you do that for me? Take some nice, deep breaths. In… out… in… out…_ ” He listened to his son breathing for a moment, until he was sure he was calm. “ _Okay. Now. What’s this about Yzma?_ ”

“ _… Dad… Yzma sold me._ ”

Huascar couldn’t speak for a moment.

Kuzco continued. “ _She sold me to people who made me do… do a lot of things. Bad things. They… they sold… my body. To a lot of people. I lost track of how many a while ago._ ” _Huascar suddenly realized his son was crying again._ “ _I tried to make them stop, Dad, I really did. But I couldn’t… no matter what I did, they always… I had to threaten to kill someone to get out, and there were so many others… I’m so sorry, Dad, I’m so…_ ”

“ _Kuzco._ ” Huascar took a deep breath. “ _You have nothing to apologize for. You understand? It wasn’t your fault._ ”

“ _But Dad, I…_ ”

“ _I don’t care what you did, or what you didn’t. It wasn’t your fault, none of it, you understand?_ ” Huascar realized his tone was harsher than it needed to be when his son whimpered. He sighed. “ _Are you sick?_ ”

“ _Huh?_ ”

“ _Those people who… who bought you, did they give you anything?_ ”

“ _… A few things. Nothing really bad, though. I don’t have AIDS, if that’s what you’re worried about._ ”

“ _Thank God…_ ” Huascar muttered.

It was silent for a moment. Then… “ _Are you… are you sure you’re not… mad?_ ”

“ _Not at you,_ ” Huascar said gently. “ _I’m angry at the people who hurt you. I’d burn them all alive, if I could. But at you? Never, my son._ ” He smiled. “ _Quite the opposite, actually. A few minutes ago, I thought you were dead. So I’m very happy you’re alive, and… and I’m very proud you were brave enough to make a break for it. I know it must have been terrifying._ ”

“ _It was,_ ” he admitted quietly. “ _But, Dad, all those other people…_ ”

“ _I’ll help you set them free. You have my word._ ”

“ _Thanks,_ ” Kuzco said, his voice soft. Then he yawned. “ _Sorry, I’m a little tired…_ ”

“ _I can only imagine._ ” Huascar bit his lip. “ _The person who called me, do you know him?_ ”

“ _… Sort of? He’s the man who took me to the hospital. I’ve only known him for a week or so._ ”

“ _What’s his name? He told me, but…_ ” _It didn't register. All I could think of was…_

“ _Pacha._ ”

Pacha. A Peruvian name…

“ _I’ll let you rest. Can you hand the phone back to him? I have a couple of questions to ask._ ”

“ _Okay, sure,_ ” Kuzco said. “ _Hey, Dad? I love you. I love you so much._ ”

Huascar smiled at that. “ _I love you, too, my son._ ”

The muffled sound of Kuzco calling for someone, and the phone changed hands once more. “Hey. Kuzco said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Pacha, isn’t it?” Huascar took in a deep breath. “Thank you. For taking him to the hospital, and for calling me.”

“Oh, it’s no problem. I’m just glad to help.” Pacha seemed to hesitate for a moment. “Did he… tell you what happened?”

“Yeah,” Huascar said, nodding. “Tell me the truth. What sort of condition is my son in?”

“Physically? He’s not too bad, all things considered. There were some bruises, and some… other injuries, but those have started to heal. And a few diseases, but the… close contact ones are just bacterial, thank God, so he should be healed up within a few weeks.”

“And… mentally?”

“Um… well, I mean, he did just break out of a sex trafficking ring, so…”

“I see.” Huascar sighed. “Can you tell me the hospital he's staying at?”

“Calisota City General.”

“Good. I have a private jet. I should be there by tomorrow, at the latest.”

“That’s good. Your son’s really missed you.”

Those words probably weren’t said with bad intent, yet there was still an ice-cold dagger that pierced through his heart when he heard them. “I’ve missed him, too.”

Details were sorted, and then the phone was hung up. The moment it was, he dialed another number. “Hello, Mark? Yes, sorry, I know it’s late, but I need you to fly the plane, as soon as you can. My son had been found alive…”

~

“Well, he’s not getting hurt like that again, not if I have anything to say about it.” Huascar stood from his desk. “That reminds me…” He wrote out a check, and handed it to the embassy worker. “You know where to take this, I assume?”

“Yes, sir.” The worker looked down and whistled. “That’s a lot of money.”

“Yes, well, I’ve looked up this organization. They could do a lot with it.” He patted the worker on the shoulder. “After that, you can take the day off, if you want. Spend time with your family.”

The worker smiled at him. “I will, sir, thank you.” He scampered off. Huascar looked back at his desk. There were two pictures there; one of his son, around five, beaming at some sort of souvenir his father had brought home. And the other was of a beautiful young woman, smiling up at him, gently rubbing a swollen belly. It was this picture he picked up. “You must be so proud,” he murmured. “Keep looking after him, mi reina. He needs you.”

And with that, he turned back to his work.


	3. Chapter 3

“ _You said your brother owns this restaurant?_ ” Today, the Emperor was not in the Palace, nor was the Bodyguard. They were in a car, and with them, a woman in the passenger seat, and three children in the back; one six, one four, and one an infant who had barely mastered the art of sitting.

“ _Yes,_ ” Chicha, the woman in front, replied. “ _He lets us eat for free. It’s nice whenever we need a night out. But this time, my brother asked us over. He wants us to meet his new girlfriend._ ”

“ _Oh._ ” Kuzco shifted uncomfortably. “ _Are you sure you want me there, then? I’m not really part of the family…_ ”

“ _Not part of the family? You’re already on the Christmas card,_ ” Pacha said. “ _Besides, he wanted you there. Said something about meeting his new nephew._ ”

The car pulled into a parking space, and the family began to unload. The Emperor helped get the baby out. “ _New nephew? There’s no need to go that far. I’m just the weird kid you didn’t really ask for._ ”

“ _Kuzco._ ” Chicha gently put her hand on his shoulder. “ _It’ll be okay._ ”

Kuzco looked at her, smiled, and passed the baby into her arms.

“Hey, Kuzco!” the four-year-old boy called. “Look what I can do!”

“Tipo!" Chicha shouted, switching to English to address her oldest son. "No headstands in the parking lot!”

“But Moooom…”

“No buts, young man! You get back on your feet! Now!”

“ _I’ll help you out._ ” Kuzco grabbed Tipo and flipped him over. “ _Save that stuff for when we’re at home, okay, bud?_ ” He ruffled the young boy’s hair fondly.

Meanwhile, the six-year-old girl was wiggling her loose tooth. “I fink it’s gonna come out soon,” she said, as best she could with fingers in her mouth.

“Let’s hope it’s not during dinner,” her mother muttered.

“Hey, Kuzco!” the girl called out to him. “Do you know any special Peruvian tricks for getting out a loose tooth?”

“ _Sorry, Chaca. Short of string on a doorknob or pliers, you’ve gotta wait for it to fall out._ ”

Chaca pouted. “Those aren’t Peruvian tricks!”

“ _Fine. Bite into a raw potato._ ” Kuzco rolled his eyes.

“Okay! I think Uncle Antay has some in his kitchen.” Chaca raced towards the door. Kuzco gaped.

 _“Chaca, I was joking!_ ” he called, running after her.

When he was a good distance away, Chicha smiled. “That group you’ve been taking him to has done wonders,” she said.

“It has. It _does_ ,” Pacha said proudly. “Got some pretty great people there.”

~

Uncle Antay was overjoyed to meet Kuzco, and to have the chance to feed him. “Poor boy’s so thin!” he said to Chicha, “Of course, he would be, after… well, I’ll help you help him catch back up. More ceviche, Kuzco?”

“Yeah!” Tipo said. “You gotta get strong so you can beat the bad guys up instead!”

“Tipo!”

“ _It’s okay,_ ” Kuzco said, holding up a hand. “ _I know he means well. Yes, I’ll take some more, thank you…_ ” He shifted slightly, and tapped on Pacha’s shoulder. “ _Where are the restrooms?_ ”

“Oh, they’re right there, in the back,” Pacha told him, pointing them out.

“ _Thanks. I’ll be back soon._ ” Kuzco stood, and rushed towards the bathrooms. He pushed the door open, and looked for an unoccupied urinal. There were three total, but a man had the center one. Kuzco shrugged; it wasn’t worth it to wait. So he walked up to the urinal. At first, he thought nothing of it, but after a while, he saw the other man staring at him. So he looked…

And his jaw dropped.

The other man grinned. “My, my, and here I thought you’d have at least left the state.” He leaned closer. “You look as beautiful as ever.”

If Kuzco screamed, someone would have heard him. Pacha, Chicha, her brother, even a stranger by the door. His English had improved, too, so he could have told this man to fuck off. As was, though, a large lump had suddenly entered his throat and no sound could pass through it.

“Aw, what’s the matter? Aren’t you glad to see me?” The man grinned.

That lump in his throat was choking him. The man leaned even closer. Kuzco trembled in fear, but his feet were planted on the floor, suddenly weighing him down like cinder blocks. He tried to will himself to move. Say something. Do something. But still, he was there, frozen, unable to move.

“Stupid Mexican,” the man said, walking around so he was between Kuzco and the door. “How many years has it been since the first time I had you? Two? Three? And you still can’t speak the language?” The man clicked his tongue, almost in disapproval. “I’ll bet you can’t even understand what I’m saying, can you?”

 _I can understand you. I don’t want anything to do with you. I came here to have a nice time. Leave me alone!_ Still, the lump in his throat remained.

“Why didn’t you leave the state?” The man leaned in close, his breath ruffling Kuzco's long hair. “You know they’ll find you. It won’t be long until they drag you back. And when they do… well. They might keep you, if you’re lucky. More likely than not, they’ll put a bullet in that stupid little head of yours.” The man put two fingers on Kuzco’s head, and made a sound like a gunshot. “And even then, it's not gonna be over for you. I know I’d pay a decent price to have this all to myself.” The man’s hands were on Kuzco’s waist. Why were they on his waist? Why was he touching him? He didn’t want this. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want…

~

“Huh.” Antay looked to the restroom. “That boy is taking a while.”

“You’re right,” Pacha said, looking towards the restrooms. “That’s not like him. Something’s not right…”

“You say he ran away from, um, bad guys?” Antay said, looking at the kids and then frowning. “I have a few customers who seem… off. They’ve never done anything that I’m aware of, but there’s just something about them…”

“You don’t think he ran into someone he… knows, do you?” Chicha asked.

“It’s not impossible. This place attracts a lot of people. Some of them are pretty well off. Well off enough to… afford… to, um, beat him up.”

“Well… maybe we’re just being paranoid. Surely there’s no way he’s actually-”

“ _GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF ME!_ ”

The shouting attracted everyone in the restaurant.

“ _FUCK OFF!_ ” There was a crash. “ _I ran so nobody would touch me! Never again! I won’t let you touch me again! I would rather die!_ ”

Chicha and Pacha jumped to their feet. “Kuzco!”

~

“You really pack a punch for a skinny little Mexican boy,” the man said, wiping blood off the corner of his mouth. “But it’s not enough!” He jumped up and tackled Kuzco to the ground. Kuzco kicked him in a very sensitive area, and soon found himself on top, his hands wrapped around the man's throat.

“ _Never again,_ ” he repeated. “ _Never again. I won’t let you!_ ”

“I have… no idea… what you’re saying…” the man gasped out.

Kuzco took in a deep breath and spoke, this time in English. “You. Will. Not. Touch. Me. Again.” It was shaky, and it still felt odd, but the words gave him power.

And suddenly, he was pushed off. “Your English won’t save you.” He marched over to Kuzco, towering above him. “You know, I wasn’t going to do anything. Public bathroom is far too risky. But it’s clear you’ve gotten the wrong idea since you've been out. You're nothing more than a hot hunk of meat, and that is all you're ever gonna be. It looks like I have to remind you of that.”

“I will fight.” Kuzco looked his attacker in the eye.

“You did when I first came to you.” He stepped closer. “It didn’t stop me then and it won’t stop me now.”

“What about me? Will I stop you?”

Kuzco blinked. Pacha stood before the man now, and he looked like the mountain of a man he was. Now it was the other man who was shaking. Now it was the other man who looked afraid. Kuzco stood on shaky legs. “ _Pacha… this man, he…_ ”

“I know. The police are on their way.” Pacha looked at the man. “You take one step forward, you’re going to regret that you were ever born.”

“And why are you standing up for him, huh? Don’t you know what he is?”

“I know what _you_ are, and it’s taking all my self-control not to beat you into a bloody pulp. Don’t move a muscle. I mean it.”

The man laughed. “You really think I’m threatened? You look like a teddy bea-” The man took one step forward and Pacha swung his fist, sending the man crashing back.

“Well, this ‘teddy bear’ didn’t win five boxing championships for nothing. That was me holding back. Stand up again, and you get to see how I earned medals.”

Kuzco took his chance and sprinted past the man, past Pacha, and back out into the restaurant. A small crowd had gathered near the restroom, wondering what the noise was about, but Uncle Antay and Chicha were urging them away, Chicha still on the phone.

“Nothing to see here, folks, everything’s under control! Sorry for the inconvenience!”

Sirens were already sounding outside, but Kuzco didn’t let himself relax until the female Sergeant McDowel sat down beside him with a notebook and tape recorder while the male Sergeant McDowel hauled his erstwhile client away.

~

It was pretty late at night. Kuzco still couldn’t sleep. Not without his mind wandering back to the man, to the warehouse, to the room…

So, he did what he usually did when he couldn’t sleep at night. Booted up his laptop and loaded up a first-person shooter.

“ _Die, die, die!_ ” he yelled at the screen, shooting as many enemies as he could. Then, a notification popped up on his screen. A Skype call. From his father. He paused the game and picked up the call.

“ _Hi, Dad._ ”

“ _Have you slept tonight?_ ” His father frowned in worry. “ _You look exhausted, and I know it must be late there._ ”

“ _It… wasn’t a great day,_ ” Kuzco admitted, yawning. “ _What’s the time where you are?_ ”

“ _It’s mid-morning in Germany. I’m on my coffee break._ ”

Kuzco blinked. “ _Yeah, that reminds me. I thought you said you were planning to retire from being a diplomat?_ ”

“ _I was, but after you disappeared I threw myself into my work again, and now I don’t feel ready to stop._ ” His father rubbed his arm. “ _It’s the only way I know how to process grief, I suppose. I did the same thing after your mother died. But I also thought… if you’d been taken somewhere internationally…_ ”

“ _Dad, please. Don’t beat yourself up about it,_ ” Kuzco said.

“ _Well, never mind me. What about you? I called because Pacha sent me a text. He told me something had happened, but he didn’t tell me what. Do you want to talk about it?_ ”

Kuzco sighed. “ _I… I ran into… someone I knew._ ”

His father stiffened. “ _One of your kidnappers?_ ”

Kuzco shook his head. “ _Worse. One of their clients._ ” Without realizing, he reached for the small, stuffed purple doll his father had brought to him while he was at the hospital. “ _A regular._ ”

“ _Oh, my poor boy…_ ” his father murmured. “ _Did he… did he do anything when you ran into him?_ ”

“ _He tried, but Pacha stopped him._ ” Kuzco hugged the toy tightly to his chest. “ _I almost… I almost let him…_ ”

“ _You_ let _him do nothing._ ” His father’s face turned to anger, but Kuzco knew he wasn't angry with him. “ _It wasn’t your fault, Kuzco, none of it was. I hope that man you ran into burns in Hell._ ”

“ _Well, he’s going to rot in jail._ ”

His father’s face softened slightly. “ _Well. Better than nothing._ ”

Kuzco nodded. He started playing with some stray threads on his doll.

“ _You know,_ _I used to carry that doll with me, while you were missing,_ ” his father said. “ _It made me feel like you were closer to me._ ”

Kuzco giggled at the idea of his proud father carrying a purple plush toy into a diplomatic meeting. Then he frowned. “ _Dad…_ ”

“ _Something wrong?_ ”

“ _That encounter I had today… it brought up some bad memories. I just… while I was there, I kept wondering if… if you were going to want me back. After everything…_ ”

“ _Kuzco, you are my son. There is nothing in this world that I cherish more than you. I don’t care what they did. You’re not worth any less as a person because of it._ ”

Kuzco nodded, but still, he stared at his doll. His father looked at him.

“ _Did I ever tell you your mother made that doll for you?_ ”

“ _Really?”_

His father nodded. “ _While she was pregnant._ ” He laughed. “ _She was so certain you would be a girl. She would sing you little lullabies and work on the doll. She even had a name picked out for you. Kuyay._ ”

“ _Well, then, shame I was a boy._ ”

“ _Honestly? I hoped she was wrong. I wouldn’t have complained about a daughter, but I wanted a son._ ”

Kuzco smiled. They were comfortably silent for a few more moments. Then…

“ _You know… you won’t find any of your attackers in Peru, and all the people involved in your kidnapping there are in jail. I know you want to see justice for what was done to you - believe me, so do I. But do you have to be in America for that? Are you sure you don’t want to go home?_ ”

Home. His father had a point. He would be safe there. Still, he didn’t consider it for more than a second before shaking his head. “ _I won’t be satisfied until I see them in prison with my own eyes. Until the police find them and I can testify, I’m staying here. Besides, I’ve built up a nice little support group here. I don’t want to put in all that work again._ ”

“ _Well, alright, if you’re certain,_ ” his father said, a little uneasily. “ _If you ever change your mind, let me know. I can always have you back home before dinner._ ”

“ _I know, Dad._ ”

Someone called out in German. “ _I need to go. There’s a meeting. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to send a message, okay?_ ”

“ _Okay, Dad. I love you. **”**_

“ _I love you, too, my son. Goodnight… and please, at least try to sleep._ ”


End file.
